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29
Jul
Wildfire road signs introduced in Nidderdale
Road signs warning of the risk of wildfires are being introduced in Nidderdale.
North Yorkshire Council said today (July 29) the signs will be installed as part of a Don't Spark Disaster campaign this summer.
It follows reports of campfires and disposable barbecues being lit in wooded and moorland areas posing a serious risk to the environment.
Media attention is currently focused on wildfires in Spain and France but the North York Moors National Park suffered its biggest ever fire last year fire on Fylingdales Moor.
Conservative council leader, Cllr Carl Les, said:
Sadly, despite last year’s major incident at Fylingdales Moor, we continue to get reports of campfires being lit and left smouldering. There is understandable fear in some communities that there could be a repeat of last summer’s fire.
These new roadside warning signs provide a clear reminder that fires, barbecues and other open flames have no place in our countryside. We know only too well how devastating they can be and how easily a wildfire can start.
(from left) Council leader, Cllr Carl Les, NY Highways officer Paul Wigman and NY Highways Thirsk depot supervisor Alex McFarlane with one of the roadside signs that has been put in place at Sutton Bank.
The signs are being introduced on major routes across the county, including Nidderdale National Landscape, as part of the Don’t Spark Disaster campaign.
The campaign, funded by North Yorkshire Council, is being delivered by the North York Moors National Park Authority in partnership with the council, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Forestry England and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.
It highlights how seemingly small actions, such as discarding cigarettes, can have devastating consequences.
The Fylingdales Moor fire is believed to have been caused by cooking with a naked flame, such as a campfire or gas burner.
At its height, the blaze covered 20 square kilometres, 10 times the size of the Great Fire of London.
Joel Brookfield, director of recreation and wellbeing at the North York Moors National Park Authority, said:
“While the term ‘wildfire’ might lead people to think that these events are natural or spontaneous, it’s the actions of people that pose the greatest risks.”
Derek Twine, chair of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, urged everyone visiting the park to take litter home, dispose of cigarettes safely and not light barbecues or campfires.
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